Job 4

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

2 If anyone tries to speak with you, will you be impatient? But who can stop himself from speaking?

If we try to speak with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can restrain from speaking?

3 See, you have instructed many; you have strengthened weak hands.

Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.

4 Your words have supported him who was falling; you have made feeble knees firm.

Thy words have upheld him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.

5 But now trouble has come to you, and you are weary; it touches you, and you are troubled.

But now it hath come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

6 Is not your fear your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?

Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?

7 Think about this, please: Who has ever perished when innocent? Or when were the upright people ever cut off?

Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?

8 According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap it.

Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.

9 By the breath of God they perish; by the blast of his anger they are consumed.

By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.

10 The roaring of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion, the teeth of the young lions—they are broken.

The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.

11 The old lion perishes for lack of victims; the cubs of the lioness are scattered everywhere.

The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion’s whelps are scattered abroad.

12 Now a certain matter was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a whisper about it.

Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a whisper of it.

13 Then came thoughts from visions in the night, when deep sleep falls on people.

In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,

14 It was at night when fear and trembling came upon me, and all my bones shook.

Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.

15 Then a spirit passed before my face, and the hair of my flesh stood up.

Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up:

16 The spirit stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, and I heard a voice that said,

It stood still, but I could not discern its form: an image was before my eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,

17 “Can a mortal man be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?

Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?

18 See, if God puts no trust in his servants; if he accuses his angels of folly,

Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:

19 how much more is this true of those who live in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed sooner than a moth?

How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed before the moth?

20 Between morning and evening they are destroyed; they perish forever without anyone noticing them.

They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it.

21 Are not their tent cords plucked up among them? They die; they die without wisdom.

Doth not their excellency which is in them depart? they die, even without wisdom.